The Andy Aupperlee Explosion 5000

Spiritualized.
Neumos. Seattle, WA.
September 14, 2008.
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On my 27th birthday (September 14, 2008), the Spiritualized tour rolled through Seattle. Unlike most bands that play Neumos, Spiritualized parked buses, not vans, on the street outside the Seattle club. After nearly two decades of music, front man Jason Pierce and Spiritualized at least deserve the extra leg room and air conditioning that a luxury tour rig provides. It had been at least six years since my last Spiritualized concert. Chris Brown and I drove to Detroit and Chicago during the early part of the decade to witness Spiritualized live. While the performances were great, I’ll never forget a girl in the audience who sat on the floor and read a book during an entire show in Detroit.

Jason Pierce.
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Sharat accompanied me for this particular evening. After hanging out on the roof of Sharat’s girlfriend’s place, we grabbed a quick bite at Elysian Fields and arrived at Neumo’s in time for the opener, Grand Ole Party (see below for picture). GOP rocked, despite only playing to about 3 people at the beginning of their set. Kristin, the lead singer and drummer, acknowledged the slim audience by saying, “we’re glad to be here, we just wish there were more of you.”

Bass player of Spiritualized.
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The crowd began to fill in during GOP’s set. By the time that signature Spiritualized tone pulsed through the speakers, Neumos appeared to be at about capacity. The Pure Phase-era tone continued while each band member made his or her way to the stage. The white noise filling Neumos was the same tone the band used six years ago; as if to establish some kind of sonic continuity.

Keyboard player of Spiritualized.
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Once assembled, the band ripped into “Amazing Grace.” Ironically, the name Spiritualized suggests something very religious despite their rather psychedelic origins. It’s not that Spiritualized engaged in some kind of paradigm shift; their music has always been other wordly and spiritual. The earlier stuff (Pure Phase, Lazer Guided Melodies) was certainly more drug influenced. Lyrics like “good dope, good fun… hey take it right now” raise little doubt about the primary source of inspiration. With 1997′s Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space, a transition began to take place. While the band still crafted mind bending psychedelic rock opuses; a humbler, more heart felt timbre emerged. By 2001′s Let It Come Down and 2003′s Amazing Grace, Pierce’s compositions and lyrics directly confronted issues of grace, spirituality and salvation. Compare the obvious drug anthems of a decade earlier to “Lord, can you hear me? Can you hear me at all?” Spitirualized’s most recent release, Songs in A&E, blends soulful and delicate gospel influences while still paying homage to Peirce’s overdriven guitar, psychedelia roots.

Guitarist of Spiritualized.
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Before the show, I told Sharat not to expect them to play “Ladies and Gentlemen.” It is best not to have an expectation that a band will play a song that is more than 10 years old. You think Bobby McFerrin likes singing “Don’t Worry Be Happy”? Probably not. Much to my delight, about three-quarters into the show the band delivered a very stripped down, yet still beautiful, version of the aforementioned song. Visit Spiritualized’s MySpace to listen to this track.

Drummer of Spiritualized.
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In addition to the signature tone, Jason Pierce is also well known for standing to the left side of his band. He never looks at the audience and often wears sunglasses.

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As an encore, Spiritualized played an incredibly powerful version of “Lord Can You Hear Me?”

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I like this photo because of the cloud of smoke above Pierce’s head. I don’t think I need to explain the symbolism here.

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Another signature Jason Pierce move: the end of show hand clap. As the band exits the stage, Pierce turns to the audience and claps his hands. This is the only time he makes eye contact with the people for which he is performing.

Spiritualized Setlist. Seattle. September 14, 2008.
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Btw, you’re welcome, Julie Harmsen. You’ve been waiting patiently for months on these photos.

Watch the slide show below to view more photos of Spiritualized and Grand Ole Party.